MSU women's basketball fell to No. 5 Ohio State 86- 71 this Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center, which now places the Spartans fifth in the Big Ten conference. The Spartans now hold a record of 17-7 overall, 7-6 in the Big Ten Conference and 11-2 at home.
Ohio State won the tip off and got the first three points on the board. Graduate guard Moira Joiner then came down the court and hit a layup to get the Spartans their first two points.
The first quarter started off at a fast pace as both teams went back-and-forth on the court. Michigan State soon began to fall behind as the Buckeyes were constantly putting pressures on Michigan State's offense. The Spartans continued to fall behind in the first quarter but a two-pointer from sophomore guard Theryn Hallock tied the score 12-12 and made the crowd go crazy. With a foul, the Spartans got their first lead of the quarter with a score of 13-12.
Michigan State's lead was short-lived with a major three-pointer from Ohio State’s graduate guard Celeste Taylor. Ohio State’s defensive pressure continued to impact the Spartans offense as the Buckeyes went on a 4-0 run and made the score 24-17. The Spartans could not break down the lead and finished the quarter losing 26-19.
Ohio State kicked off scoring in the second quarter and Michigan State could not respond yet again. The Buckeyes went on an 8-0 run and made the score 34-19 which caused Michigan State to take a timeout. A made basket by Hallock got the Spartans out of their long scoring drought, and eventually Michigan State went on a 7-0 run to improve the deficit to eight.
Ohio State continued to excel offensively and the Spartans could not get a stop throughout the second quarter. A major three-pointer by Ohio State's redshirt senior guard Rikki Harris, who was fouled by Joiner, created an even more comfortable lead for the Buckeyes. The Spartans were outscored 27-12 in the second quarter and continued to fall behind 53-31 as the two teams headed into the locker rooms.
In the first half, junior guards DeeDee Hagemann and Jocelyn Tate led scoring for the Spartans with 6 points each. The Spartans were only able to convert one three-pointer in the first half.
The third quarter started off with the Spartans scoring but the Buckeyes responded with an 8-0 run to bring their lead to 61-32, the largest lead of the game. In the first three minutes of the third quarter, Ohio State outscored Michigan State 8-1. Graduate guard Julia Ayrault came down with two major buckets and a big block to get the Spartans back rolling. Sophomore guard Abbey Kimball later on came down the court with a deep three-pointer, which brought the score to 71-43. The Ohio State defense remained aggressive and put constant pressure on the Spartans and the quarter ended with the Spartans trailing 75-47.
Ohio State also got the first points of the fourth quarter but Michigan State was able to score quickly after as Joiner converted two three-pointers, which brought excitement back to the Breslin crowd. The Spartans outscored the Buckeyes 10-9 with in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Spartans held a deficit of 29 points 84-57 with just a few minutes left in the game. During the next couple of possessions, Michigan State had more offensive impact as the team knocked down a couple of three-pointers and layups. The Spartans came pushing back offensively, but it was not enough to overpower the Buckeyes.
As the final whistle blew, the Spartans fell short to Ohio State with a final score of 86-71. Hallock lead for the Spartans in multiple categories with 18 points, two rebounds and two steals to end the game.
Looking ahead, MSU women's basketball's next game will be on the road in Ann Arbor against the University of Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Network.
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